Asthma Attacks Pose Serious Risk

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Suffers Often Too Embarrassed To Seek Help

December 31, 1994|By GLENN SINGER Staff Writer

The scene is frightening: An older person starts to suffer an asthma attack, but rather than seek help he or she decides to stay at home and fight it out.

The attack gets worse and the afflicted person, or a spouse, calls the doctor's office, frantically seeking advice. A nurse there urges the caller to dial 911, summon an ambulance and get the victim to an emergency room.

"Sometimes that call for help is too late - the patient is dead on arrival. Nobody took the asthma attack seriously enough," said Dr. Bruce Berkowitz of Delray Beach, a specialist in pulmonary disease and critical care.

"Doctors have been pretty good at treating asthma, and some of the newer drugs work wonderfully," Berkowitz said. "But some people are reluctant to have the appropriate treatments."

In his practice, Berkowitz said, he has seen two types of people who are jeopardizing their health by not seeking help.

"Some young people seem to feel embarrassed using a puff inhaler when they are with others. And some older people, who may have had asthma for a while, are set in their ways and just want to wait until the attack passes," Berkowitz said.

People with asthma often suffer from persistent cough, which is one way the lungs react to airway inflammation. In fact, doctors say, a cough may be the only symptom for some with asthma.

"Persistent cough should not be ignored or dismissed," said Dr. Allan Luskin, director of the Respiratory Institute at Dean Medical Center in Madison, Wis. "If a patient reports a cough lasting a month or more, I evaluate that person for asthma."

Though common, an asthmatic cough is difficult to recognize because it could be confused with a cough associated with respiratory infection, a cold or an allergy, Luskin said.

And in older adults, such a cough could be mistaken for a symptom of chronic bronchitis, gastro-esophogal reflex or congestive heart failure, Berkowitz said.

One other word of caution: Aside from allergens, cool weather can trigger an asthma attack.

"A cooler climate can make a person more prone to bronchial constriction," Berkowitz said, adding: "If you think you have symptoms that resemble asthma, you should see your doctor."

Said Luskin: If you suffer from persistent, unexplained cough that lasts more than a month, discuss this with your doctor. If an asthma-related cough is present, a physician can map out a treatment plan to deal with the cough and the underlying inflammatory process."

For more information about asthma, call the American Lung Association at 1-800-330-5864. Also, a free brochure, Living with Asthma: Guidelines for a Healthy Lifestyle, is available from The Asthma Information Center, P.O. Box 790, Springhouse, Pa. 19477-0790.